Pipe-cleaning machine



J. GROH.

.L lll .Mu Mo. c2 AM. MH nu Nm mn A.' E Lw cl. r E Dnc L DID.. Dn APatented Aug. 19, 1919.

bfi Y1 30H17 GMI, 0l' CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

PIPE-CLEANING ILC'HINE.

Specification of Lettera Patent.

Patented Aug. 19, `1919.

Application illed mh $0, 1919. Serial I0. 993,787.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN Gnon, a citizen of the United States, residingat Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvcments in Pipe-Cleaning Machines, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention relates to a machine adapted to act upon pi tubes, flues,etc., to clean o' and polis their exterior surfaces.

In the construction of mechanism for this purpose, it has been my aimabove all to provide means for removing, disengaging, or inding olf theformation of rust, dirt, sca e, etc., in an effective manner withoutinjnriously affecting the body of the pipe under treatment, and withoutmutilating or breaking down such threads as may be formed upon the pipe;and in accomplishing these endsto employ a. device that is essentially'simple and inexpensive both in construction and operation. It has,furthermore, been an object of this invention to utilize a mechanismthat, because of its simlicity, is of relatively light weight and enceeasily portable, so that: it ma be operated in places Where greater avantage and eonvemence is to be gained by bringing the machine to thematerial that is to under treatment, rather than vice-versa.

Vith these and other objects in view, I

will now refer to the accompanying drawi in which is exhibited apreferred embliment of the rincipal parte of this invention, Fi re beingan end elevation, Fig. 2 a si e elevation, and Fig. 3 an enlargedfragmentary detail in cross section taken on line 3 3 of Fig. 1.

As shown in the drawing, use is made of a frame which may convenientlybe setup on any suitable support, the frame comprising companion arms 5,each anged at itslower end as at 6 to receive a bolt 7 that secures thedevice in place. Guides 8 are provided on each arm as shown, andsupported by the uy per ends of the arms is a cross head 9 t rough whichextends a. screw shaft 10 operable, if desired, by a hand wheel 11.Arranged to slide vertically upon the guides is a box 12 constitutinlg ajournal for a rotatable shaft 13 whic ma be driven by power applied inany suita le manner,

box having a swivel connection with the screw shaft 10 by which itsvertical position 56 within the frame may be adjusted Mounted adjacent4the front side of the Awidth of the frame is a block 14 having thereona transverse channel for the reception of a U- shaped journal box 15which is removably secured in place. This journal box carries two freelyrotatable companion rollers 16 which are in co rative relation with athird roller 17, which is locked to the driving shaft 13 by any approvedmeans. The pipe to be treated, designated as 18, is arranged forlongitudinal travel between these three rollers in the direction of thearrow, it being understood that some sort of a support is provided forthe pipe ends during its movement through the machine.

I will now describe in detail the construction and arrangement of thethree rollersthe upper one having driving and two lower ones drivenrelation-as this represents one of the important and novel improvementsof this invention. First of all, it is to be noted that the axes of theseveral rollers are parallel, and that each roller is provided withcertain circumferential ooves or channels, their interrelation ing bestshown in Fig. 3. I prefer that the grooves in each roller shall be twoin number, with their sides square cut, the grooves in the driving orupper roller bein denoted as A and B, while those on the riven or lowerrollers are denoted as C and D, the uncut rtionsof each roller peripheryconstitutmg ribs or flanges whose acting surfaces are adapted to engagewith the pipe. As a further surface orination, the three ribs or flangesof the driving roller 17 may be provided With shallow cross cuts 19,preferably in a slightI an lar relation, as Shown. The rollers 1n theirrelation to each other are secured in the machine with the drivenrollers 16 in a coincident plane slightly ahead of the driving roller17, by which arrangement the driven rollers are the first to engage thepipe; and in the preferred construction the forward end of the drivingroller lies apfpligoxiinately midwa of the nt groove C in t e drivenrollers, while the rear end of the driven rollers lies approximatelymidway of the width of the rear groove B of the driving roller.

In the operation of the machine, the pipe to be treated is placed u onthe lower rollers and the haid wh p erated tohadjust eupper or riving roer upon t e ie with the desired rassure. The poweli" Iis then' appliedto drive thenpper roller 17,

and this results in the pipe also being revolved; at the same time itcauses the pipe to travel l hwise through the machine. The driven ro ersfirst act upon the pipe to my therefrom the rust or other foreign matterand generally, to clean up the surface, while the driving roller forms aand polishing action. e travel of the pi' is caused more perceptibly bythe upper ro er, altho h the formation and interrelationship of therollers is :e: ry to this action. The pro ulsion of the pi may beattributed'to use of proper y formed rollers, those below being slightlyahead, while the driving roller above is correspondingl behind, so as toexert what may be term a tilting tendency upon the pipe, the resultantefcct being that of traction such as to draw the pipe through themachine as it unde its treatment.

The machine whi has been described in detail is manifestly simple bothin its construction and operation. It embodies but few parts and henceislight and adatpted to be moved about wherever its use is esired In itsaction upon the pipes undergoing treahnent, very satisfactory resultsmay be obtained without ail'ect' any threads that may be formed on theody of the pipe. Realizing, however, that the rinciples of thisinvention are susceptible o embodiment in forms other than the articularone shown and described herein, desire that all mich modifications orwhich are based either in whole or n the improved in part upo featurespeculiar -to this invention, should be included within the scope of thispatent,

as more delinitely set forth in the claims following.

I claim: v

1. In a pipe cleaning machine, the combination of a driving and twodriven rolleis man to receive between them a pipe for treatment, thethree rollers having parallel axes and be' of substantially the samelength with the ends of the driven rollers coincident, the drivinlroller, however, be-

-nation of a riving ro ing therewi the acting surfaces of each rollerbeing grooved circumferentially substantialiy as described.

2. In a pipe cleaning machine, the combination of a driving and twodriven rollers arranged to receive between them a pipe for treatment,the three rollers having parallel axes and being of substantiallythesame length 4with the ends of the driven rollers coincident, the driroller, however, beingvnalned thereilvliltl, substantially as descri 8.In api cleani machine, the combi- `er and a plurality of drivenl rollersa to receive between all of them a pipe for treatment, the several miauwrollers lparallel axes and being of substantially the saine length withthe ends of the driven rollers coincident the driving roller beimisalined therewith, e ac surfaces o all the rollers being groovcircumferential] substantially as described.

4: In a pipe eaning machine, the combination of a driving and twoldriven rollers arrangedto receive between them a pipe for treatment,three rollers having parallel axes and being of substantially the samelength with the ends of the! driven rollers the dri roller, howeverbemisalined therezlvili, the acting s ces o Aeach roller being groovedcircumferentially, that of the driving roller having cross cuts inaddition, substantially as described.

5. In a pipe cleaning machine, the combination of a driving andtwo,driven rollers arranged to receive between them a pipe for t, thethree rollers having parallel axes and. being of substantially the samelength wlth the ends of the driven rollers coincident, the driv'intglroller, however beil? misalined therewi o each roller being square cutcircumferentially to provide anv annular groove, substantially asdescribed.

6: In a piiei clean machine, the combination of a ving ro er and aplurality of driven rollers arranged to receive between them a pipe fortreatment, all of the rollers having lpln'iirallel axes with the forwardends of the ven rollers in a coincident plane, the co l end of thedriving roller, however, i f therewith, the aeting surfaces o alltherollers be grooved circumferentiall substantially as ascribed.

7. In a pipe eaning machine, the combination of a driving and two drivenrollers arrangedtnreceivebetweenthein apipe for t, the three rollershaving parallel the acting surfaces axes and being of substantially thesame with the ends of the drivm rollers u roller, however, beingmisalined therewi and means for mov- 'ing-one of the rollers upon thepipe with a variable degree of preurc, substantially as JOHN GBDH.

Witness:

Bammm.

